Community

PLAYTIME

This is a great opportunity for parents and pre-school children to gather during the week, for good company and engaging play. We meet on Monday mornings (term time) at Christ the Saviour Parish Hall from 10-11.30am to catch up over coffee, make new friends, play and occasionally hear from health professionals. It’s a safe and welcoming space for parents to connect, support and encourage each other and for children to socialise, learn and grow.FIND OUT MORE

ACET

As a church, we support the work of Aids Care Education and Training, both financially and through volunteering. We agree that there is a real need to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, to remove the stigma and to stand alongside those who are suffering. The work of ACET also extends to wider issues of sexual health that are often linked to poverty. The programmes are practical and powerful and we look forward to even more breakthrough.ACET WEBSITE

CAP

Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness, and we believe this includes freedom from debt and addiction. We actively support CAP, making use of their resources and case studies to break the silence and shame around debt and finances, and to offer practical advice and services. Through CAP we also connect with other Church leaders who are passionate and intentional about releasing people out of poverty and into hope and freedom.CAP WEBSITE

DNA

We love the discipleship and development opportunities offered by DNA and are blessed to have received DNA students serving our church family. During the internship year, students are both trained in leadership and discipled in their spiritual growth, through down-to-earth involvement in the life of the church. Members of the Bless leadership team have also delivered some of the teaching on DNA courses, investing in the next generation of leaders.DNA WEBSITE

EALING NIGHT SHELTER

Ealing Night Shelter is a refuge for those who have no safe place to call ‘home’. As part of a network of local churches and volunteers, we provide a warm welcome, a hearty meal, and a place to sleep for people who would otherwise be at risk on our streets. Through this simple outworking of the love of Jesus we hope to minimise potential long-term dangers, such as substance abuse, while seeking more permanent solutions.NIGHT SHELTER WEBSITE

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

We are an Evangelical Alliance church. This partnership helps us to stay connected with evangelical Christians across the UK and with our government and media. As a united front, we can make our voices heard on issues that threaten the values modelled by Jesus, lobbying the government and leading community action. This network also helps us to share and celebrate the spread of the good news as it transforms communities across the country. Steve Clifford, one of our advisors, is the General Director of the Evangelical Alliance.EA WEBSITE

FOOD BANK

Bless supports Ealing food bank through donations and fundraising because we firmly believe in the value of food banks in providing for families in crisis. As well as emergency provision, the food bank also connects individuals and families with agencies and support networks who can help them get to the root of their problems. In this way, Ealing food bank is not just about feeding mouths, it’s about changing lives. Linda Ward is a director of the Ealing food bank.FOOD BANK WEBSITE

HOME FOR GOOD

We have recently been approached by Ealing Council, who are looking to the church for potential foster and adoptive parents to provide loving and stable homes for vulnerable children. Our church, as a whole, also has a vital role to play as a supportive community for parents who foster or adopt, and as a family for children who feel lost, neglected or alone. Home for Good is helping to equip us, as a church community, for this privilege.HOME FOR GOOD WEBSITE

HOUNSLOW NIGHT SHELTER

In partnership with other churches in Hounslow, we volunteer for Hounslow Night Shelter, providing a safe and warm sanctuary for homeless men during the coldest months. We work with local agencies to help them access the support and resources they need to break free of homelessness and take their place in our community. Above all, we want these men to see in us the love, compassion and hope of Jesus.NIGHT SHELTER WEBSITE

LOVE 146 WEST LONDON

Many members of our congregation are active volunteers in a local Love146 Volunteer Group. This is a powerful initiative that raises awareness of the fact that trafficking is not just an international issue. We want to see an end to trafficking and slavery in our local neighbourhoods and communities, and the voluntary group engages people like hotel owners and taxi drivers, helping them to recognise danger signs and take action as well as raising money for the work of Love146.LOVE 146 WEBSITE

PIONEER

Bless is part of the Pioneer churches network, connecting with other UK churches and ministries who share our vision of seeing the Kingdom of God break into every sphere and sector of society. We love the focus on organic, informal and everyday expressions of church, making Jesus known through community and relationship. As a network of churches with a common mission and values, focusing on the apostolic and prophetic – we are able to share experiences and resources and partner in various events.PIONEER WEBSITE

STREET PASTORS

Volunteers from Bless join the Street Pastors on Friday and Saturday nights to be light in the darkness on the streets of Ealing Broadway, Southall, Acton and West Ealing. The teams walk the streets, connect with local shopkeepers and community support officers and provide a calming presence in the face of anti-social behaviour, drunkenness, illness or emergency. Sometimes it’s as simple as listening and caring. We love our community and want to play our role in making it a safer and happier place.STREET PASTORS WEBSITE

TEA TIMERS

Afternoon tea to satisfy, quizzes to challenge the mind, great chat with new and old friends and even a chance to have your nails painted! Tea Timers happens monthly on a Sunday afternoon for those over sixty and we have found that those under sixty love to join in and help. We gather in West Ealing and, on special occasions, arrange transport to various Bless events.FIND OUT MORE

Transform Europe Now

Just as we are passionate about sharing the gospel and love of Jesus so is Transform Europe Now (TEN) – but they do it in Europe. TEN supports national partners in Europe who are working to make Jesus and the love of God known through their words and actions. TEN supports church planting, pastors, social care and education work. Examples of projects include evangelism, poverty relief, drug rehabilitation, anti-trafficking work, vocational training and summer Bible camps.TEN WEBSITE